Steeldogs Sporting New Look

Sonny SandersThursday April 7, 2005

The Birmingham Steeldogs will kickoff the 2005 season Saturday with a game against the San Diego Riptide. This year’s edition of the Steeldogs has a new look both in the uniforms and the players. The Steeldogs unveiled new uniforms that are black with orange shoulders and white piping on the sides. Wearing these new uniforms will be many players new to the Steeldogs and arenafootball2.

Here is how the team looks position by position.

Offensive and defensive line

Derrick Cloud – This will be Derrick’s second season with the Steeldogs. In seven games last year he recorded seven tackles, intercepted a pass, and forced a fumble.

David Daniel – This the fourth season for this former University of Alabama player. He has 59 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

Kamau Jackson – Jackson is a rookie from Mississippi State University.

Michael Major – Major is a rookie from Savannah State University where he was a member of the football and track and field teams.

James Malone – James Malone is a rookie from UAB where he was named the 2002 C-USA All-Preseason Team.

Larry Paul – Larry Paul played in five games with the Steeldogs and Columbus Wardogs. He also spent time in training camp and pre-season with the Tennessee Titans in 2001 and in 2002 with the NFL-Europe’s Berlin Thunder.

Deon White – Participated in the 2003 Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Played in 13 games for the Tennessee Valley Vipers in 2004 where he recorded 13 tackles, four for a loss of 19 yards.

Fullback/Linebacker

Patrick Billings – Billings is a rookie from Stillman College where he was voted Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

Darold Williams – A rookie from Samford University where he earned Ohio Valley Conference All-Conference honors.

WR/LB

Dre Fulgham – Dre Fulgham was the University of Alabama’s leading receiver in 2003. He also spent time in training camp with the Arena Football League’s Columbus Destroyers.

Defensive Specialist

Darius Ellison – Ellison is in his sixth season. He has played for seven different arenafootball2 teams. In 50 games has 167 tackles, eight interceptions, defended 57 passes, and forced two fumbles.

Kicker

Alex Walls – Walls is in his second season. He played at the University of Tennessee where he was 133 of 137 in extra-point attempts and 53 of 68 in field goal attempts. Last season he played for the Tennessee Valley Vipers where, in seven games, he connected on 4 of 10 field goals and 30 of 41 extra-point attempts.

Wide Receiver/Defensive Back

Chris Cole – This former Oklahoma State Cowboy spent part of the 2004 season with the Tulsa Talons where he recorded 17 tackles and defended four passes.

Detronn Harris - Harris played in nine games for the Steeldogs in 2004. He finished with 766 yards on 47 catches and scored 14 touchdowns. Serving also as the team’s primary kick returner, Harris returned 23 kicks for 552 yards (24 yards per return) and three touchdowns. He finished second on the team in scoring with 126 points, despite missing the final eight games of the season.

Eldrick Hill – Hill played for the Columbus Wardogs in the 2001and 2002 seasons. He spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the Steeldogs. Hill has caught 16 passes for 138 yards, collected 88 tackles, and 5 interceptions.

Larry Huntington – Huntington has spent the last three seasons with the Steeldogs where he has recorded 13 rushes for 42 yards, 70 catches for 965 yards, 114 tackles, five interceptions, he has scored 17 touchdowns.

Milas Randle – Randle is a talented rookie from Mississippi State.

With the return of Detronn Harris and good combination of experience and talent at every position the Steeldogs believe they have the team to compete for the ArenaCup.

Sonny Sanders is a 36 year old network administrator and is married with one daughter and two grandkids. He has been an Arena Football fan for over a decade and a Steeldogs fan from the beginning. Sonny is a former writer for XFLBoard.com and a prep sports reporter for the Birmingham News.

The opinions expressed in the article above are only those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts, opinions, or official stance of ArenaFan Online or its staff, or the Arena Football League, or any AFL or af2 teams.